Water-pressure regulator



No. 623,773. Patented Apr. 25, |899. T. A. EVANS. WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR.

(Application led Aug. 23, A1898.)

(No Model.)

ilNiTnn STATES PATENT ilOh-rricn.

THOMAS A. EVANS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

WATER-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION fcrrhingvpart of Letters Patent No. 623,773, dated .April 25, 1899.

Application filed August 23,1898. Serial No. 689,421. (No model.)

T0 all whom t ned/y concern:

Be it known that LTHOMAS A. EVANS,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Portland, county of Multnomah, State of Oregon, have invented a new anduseful Improved Tater-Pressure Regulator, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing as a part thereof.

My invention relates to devices for automatically controlling the pressure of the water in the service-pipes in a building or other supply system in-which water is delivered through pipes under a higher pressure at a constant point suited to the system of service-pipes and appurtenances to avoid any unnecessary strain and wear, as well as harnmering and like annoyances.

The object of my invention is to produce a regulator of simple but durable constrution, easily connected with the service-pipes, and the mechanism of which will assure quick automatic action and admit of being accurately adjusted to the service required. In my invention I desire to so balance the controlling-valve through which the water enters the service-pipes that the Water in such service-pipes will itself maintain the pressure at which the device has been set.

The construction and operation of my device are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which shows a longitudinal vertical section of my invention coinplete.

The numerals designate the parts referred to in the description.

My invention is to be affixed to the supplypipe leading from the street-main, such Supply-pipe being provided with a threaded tap for that purpose, and the base of my invention below the valve-chamber 1 being provided with a threaded tubular extension for inserting in the tap of the supply-pipe. This attachment of my invention I do not deem necessary to illustrate. In the valve-chamber is a ball-valve 2, inserted on the depend-V ent valve-rod 3, and such valve being braced by the flange 3il and iixed in place by the nut n.- The upper end of the rod 3 is provided with a flange 4and screw 5 for attaching this rod to the base of the plunger 6 and securing the leather bucket 7. The upper and lower ends of the plunger 6 have threaded sockets. In the upper socket of the plunger Gis screwed the lower threaded end of the rod S, having a 'liange 3 and securing the leather bucket 9 in place, as shown. The head of the valvechamber 1 has a threaded perforation 1a in which to receive the threaded end of the short cylinder 10, provided with an octagonal head 10 on which to afliX a wrench. The upper end of such cylinder 10 has an outer thread forinserting in the sleeve 11, also provided with an octagonal head 11, The sleevell has an inner and outer thread, the former receiving the threaded upper end of the cylinder 10 and by the latter such sleeve being affixed in the lower head 12 of the cylinder13. The upper end of the sleeve 1l provides a seat for the coil-spring 14, encircling the upper end of the rod S. The upper end of the rod 8 is threaded and screwed in a threaded socket in the base of the lock-nut 16, from the upper end of which lock-nut extends a screw 17 through the washer 1S and leather bucket 19, secured therebyfand into a threaded socket at the base of the p'iston 20. ln the head of such piston is another threaded socket in which to receive the threaded lower end 2l of the rod 22.

The spring 23 is -seated on the head of the piston 20, and the tension thereof is adjusted by means of the threaded sleeve 24, inserted in the threaded perforation in the upper head 12 of the cylinder 13. The opening in the head of the sleeve is closed by a threaded plug 25 to prevent the water in the cylinder from escaping through the sleeve. The upper end of the valve-rod 22 lifts in such sleeve 2-1. This sleeve bears upon the head of the coilspring 23 and adjusts the tension thereof. To facilitate this adjustment, I provide said sleeve with an. octagonal head 249. The locknut 24" is screwed down ou a gasket 2-.LC or other packing to prevent the water in the cylinder from leaking through the upper cylinder-head. The cylinder 13 is tapped near its upper end to receive a short piece of pipe 26, screwed in a T 27, on the upper end of which T is mounted a relief-valve 2S, which valve may be of any convenient construction, and from the base'of such T 27 depends a pipe 29, entering the head of T 30, the right lower branch of which T is connected withthe service-pipe, of which a small piece 31 is shown,

and the left branch 32 being connected with the valve-chamber 1. By raising or lowering the sleeve 11 the tension of the spring 14 may IOO on the piston-valve 20.

be adjusted to lift the valve 2, controlling the admission of the waterinto the service-pipe, until a certain maximum pressure is exerted The spring la also helps to start the Valve 2 upon the pressure on the piston-valve 20 being relieved. Otherwise such valve 2 might get jammed so tightly on its seat as to be lifted with difiiculty by the inflowing water.

The spring 23 may be used to regulate the resistance of the valve; but such use is optional. This spring is more especially provided to prevent the piston from being` suddenly and violently thrown upward upon being relieved again of the back pressure of the water in the service-pipe acting upon the upper surface of such piston. The valve 2, as a matter of fact, is normally kept open by the spring l-i and pressure of the inflowing water from the supply-pipe, and it is not closed until the back pressure in the service-pipe acts upon the piston as described. By the combined use of said springs 14 and 23 the valve 2 can be accurately balanced to open and close automatically in response to the rise and fall of the piston-valve 20. The valves 7 and 0 are merely practical substitutes for a stuffingbox to inclose the lower end of the valve-stem and prevent the water from entering the space in the cylinder below the piston-valve. The difference in area between the supply-controlling valve 2 and the piston-valve 2O furnishes the means for enabling the back pressure of the water in the service-pipes to operate my device, such operation being as follows:

The water from the main entering the valvechamber 1 having sufficient pressure to lift the ball-valve 2 thereupon enters the passage formed by the pipe 32,T 30, and service-pipe 3l and discharges from the faucet. If the pressure in the service-pipe is increased, the back pressure of the water causes the same to risc in the pipe 29 and through the duct formed by the T 27 and pipe 26 into the cylinder 13, and the area of the piston 2O being greater than that of the valve 2 the pressure exerted on such piston will soon overcome the lifting force of the water entering through the supply-pipe into the valve-chamber and close the valve 2, thereby shutting olf the water or reducing the volume thereof. The pressure which the water in the service-pipe must have attained to operate the piston-valve 20, and therewith the valve 2, will depend upon the adjustment of the balancing-springs 14 and 23. The air-space in the cylinder 13, below the piston 20, is drained of any water which may pass the valves 7 and 9 by the vent 15. The relief-valve 28 is provided to relieve the excessive pressure incident to the expansion of the hot water coming from a boiler forming part of the service system.

lVhen my device is used where lthe full pressure of the main is desired at times, a stop and waste cock can be put in the pipe 29, as indicated in dotted lines, to sluit the water out of the regulator and drain the water in the cylinderl above the piston-valve. By this arrangement my device can be instantly connected with and cut off from the service-pipe without interfering with the adjustment of the regulator. Vtlhen attaching my device to the service-pipe a pressure-gage may be substituted for the plug 25 or the relief-valve 28 to aid in adjusting the balance of the valve and to accurately find at what pressure the regulator will operate.

Now what I claim is- 1. A water-pressure regulator comprising in combination a valve-chamber through which the water enters from the supply-pipe into the service-pipe, a Valve in such chamber controlling the flow of water into the servicepipe, a neck extending upward from the top of the valve-chamber, a cylinder mounted on said neck, the diametric area of which cylinder is greater than that of the service-pipe, a piston in said cylinder, with which said valve is connected by a stem extending through said neck in the water-tight joint so as to exclude the water from the under side of the piston, a water passage-way tapping the service-pipe back of the valve and leading into said cylder above the piston, means for lifting the piston, and therewith the valve until the back pressure of the water in the service-pipe acts upon the upper surface of such piston, and means for preventing the piston from being violently thrown upward upon being again relieved of such back pressure.

2. In a water-pressure regulator, the combination of a valve-chamber through which the water enters from the supply-pipe into the service-pipe, a valve in such chamber controlling the flow of waterinto the service-pipe, an adjustable gland in the head of such valvechamber, a cylinder having an opening in its base in which to receive the head of such gland, the diametric area of such cylinder being greater than that of the service-pipe, a piston in said cylinder with which said valve is connected by a stem extending through said gland in a water-tight joint so as to exclude the water from the under side of the piston, a water passage-way tapping the service-pipe back of the valve and leading into said cylinder above the piston, a spring, as 1a, seated on the head of the adjustable gland and bearing against the under side of the piston, and whereby the-latter and therewith theA valve is lifted until back pressure of the water in the service-pipe acts upon the upper surface of the piston, and means for preventing the spring, 14, from violently throwing the piston upward upon beingagain relieved of such back pressure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afxed my signature, in the presence of two witnesses7 this 30th day of July, 1898.

THOMAS A. EVANS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD H. SUTTON, T. J. GEisLEI-t.

IIO 

